For wearing an Infiniti badge and having that curvaceous Infiniti styling, the QX60 certainly gives off the impression of a smooth, balanced luxury crossover. The QX60 (formerly known as the JX35) rides on the same platform as the Nissan Pathfinder. In fact, the QX60 is built right along side the Pathfinder in Smyrna, Tennessee. When I got into the QX60 I was hoping for at least somewhat of a differentiated driving experience from its Nissan sibling, or at least something unique about the Infiniti model that you don’t quite get to experience in the Pathfinder. What did I find? Below are some of my driving impressions.
When I first got into the QX60, I noticed that the materials feel slightly higher in quality compared to the Pathfinder. The seats feel plush and comfortable, and the interior has a pleasant scent of high quality leather. You get a high seating position just as you do in the Pathfinder, and a big curvy front hood in your sight lines. The visibility all around is great, as the hood stays low enough so as to not limit your frontward visibility, the pillars are thin, the side mirrors are large, and even though the rear window is on the smaller side, your rearward visibility is completely open and unobstructed.
The QX60 makes a decent first impression, but when you start to look closely, you see a good deal of parts sharing in the infotainment and switchgear from the Pathfinder that really seem to cheapen the overall atmosphere. The infotainment system, while simple to use, is the same dated infotainment system used in Pathfinder. Even the Nissan Rogue has more modernized and premium infotainment system compared to the QX60’s interface, which has been in use for about a decade now with very minimal updates. The dashboard is basically one solid piece of hard plastic, and all the climate and radio controls are basically a carbon copy of the Pathfinder’s switchgear and design. The interior is decent, but I can tell immediately that this car’s MSRP is overpriced. The QX60 doesn’t have the interior of a $50,000 car.
Mechanically, this car shares the same V6 engine and CVT transmission from the Pathfinder. The QX60 has 11 extra horsepower and 11 extra lb. ft. of torque than the Pathfinder (295/270 respectively), however it’s still paired to a CVT, in a 4,500 lb. three-row FWD-based crossover. The powertrain really doesn’t feel any different from the Pathfinder’s. For a car that tops out at $56K, I find that somewhat inexcusable. The Ford Explorer Sport hits over $50K, but that’s because it has a powerful 365 hp twin-turbocharged V6 engine and dynamic handling.
In terms of feature content, I also find it difficult to understand why the QX60’s MSRP is reaching into BMW X5 territory. We covered that the QX60 doesn’t really have any crazy engines or exhilarating performance specs, and the feature content is pretty much the same story. The QX60 has a standard Nissan 6-speaker audio system in the $43K base trim, whereas a 13-speaker Bose system is standard in the $42K Pathfinder Platinum. When you go for a Pathfinder Platinum, not only do you get a 13-speaker Bose sound system, but you also get an upgraded infotainment system, around view monitor, blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert, seating and mirror position memory, cooled front seats, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, motion activated power lift gate, adaptive cruise control with lane detection, and a panoramic moonroof. In order to get these same features in the QX60, you need to option in the $1,800 premium package, the $2,900 premium plus package, and the $1,850 Driver Assistance Package. And that’s only the beginning. Despite now costing $7,550 more than the top trim Pathfinder (including MSRP), you still don’t get the panoramic moonroof. If you want that option, you have to get the $7,300 deluxe technology package. Now we have a $56K QX60 that is essentially the same as a $42K Pathfinder ($44K with AWD). You get some extra frills like quilted leather, two extra speakers for the Bose system, and auto dimming side mirrors, but that’s about it. You might like the exterior styling of the QX60 better than the Pathfinder, but I do not think that a couple of superfluous features are worth shelling out an additional $12-14K.
In terms of driving, the QX60 drives basically the same as the Pathfinder. The V6 engine has good pep, it remains quiet in the cabin and has a nice muted growl. Good torque off the line with a nice linear power band, and the engine is quick to rev. You have enough power to merge into busy traffic, and you won’t have to wring the engine out to perform satisfactory passing maneuvers. The engine can feel a little bit hesitant to get moving at times, and sometimes it feels like it’s working a little bit hard to shuffle this 4,500 pound crossover around, but for the most part it’s decently quick and streamlined in its power delivery. You basically hit the gas and watch the speedometer climb as the engine calmly whisks you up to speed. The power remains smooth and consistent all the way into the higher revs, and for a regular family crossover, I think the power is plenty sufficient. I certainly don’t think it’s $50K+ power, but for just driving around town, this engine will smooth, refined, and decently peppy from stop light to stop light.
The CVT also seems to do a good job at keeping the engine where it needs to be. I think the CVT in this car might be ever so slightly more responsive compared to the Pathfinder, but it’s not really enough to stand out or provide a vastly different experience. You can tell that its essentially the same transmission and it responds the same way. It does drone a good amount, and you can tell that the off the line response is slower and more mushy feeling compared to a traditional stepped automatic, but I think the additional power of the V6 compliments the CVT well. It helps the engine get this SUV up to speed briskly and efficiently. The CVT has pretty quick thinking, and while it does feel more disconnected than a regular automatic, it still listens to your foot pretty well and hits the proper gear ratios that you want. Everything feels smooth and refined, and you don’t really get any unnecessary or aggressive “fake shifts” that you might find in some of the cheaper Nissan models. The CVT does hit its top gear ratio pretty early for fuel efficiency. When you need some passing power, you’ll need to put some legwork into it, as with most crossovers, however the CVT feels slightly above average compared to most when delivering passing power. It drops a gear ratio fairly quickly and seems to do well when accelerating from 40-60 mph.
The steering feel in the QX60 is decent, but its not my favorite. It feels just like the Pathfinder, and even the Pathfinder’s steering generally feels a little cheap in the class that it competes in. I found that other mainstream crossovers like the Toyota Highlander, Ford Explorer, and Jeep Grand Cherokee have a more premium steering feel. The QX60’s steering feels heavy at parking lot speeds, and it has a decent amount of weight out on the road. The steering is smooth and linear, but it is slow to respond and doesn’t quite communicate with the driver as to what the front tires are doing very well. It has somewhat of an aggressive return to center, which in my mind demonstrates cheapness. I remember driving an old Hyundai Accent a few years ago that had a similar hard return to center, so to have that same characteristic in an expensive luxury SUV feels out of place to me. The steering will feel fine to most people, but it has just a hint of cheapness in how it turns and responds. When going around corners you have to turn the wheel a good amount, and the steering just feels a little vague and rubbery throughout the apex of the corner. You just have a slight amount of play the steering wheel that seems to become more evident around turns, and you can really feel the weight of this car through the steering. You also don’t get any road feel or communication, which is typical for a crossover. The steering in this car isn’t terrible, because it has a smooth, easy response, and the vehicle maneuvers itself with a decent level of accuracy and predictability for its size, but I just thought that it wasn’t the type of steering feel you would expect from a vehicle at this price point. You can definitely tell that they didn’t retune the steering dynamics to help the QX60 feel more premium or expensive compared to the Pathfinder.
As for handling, the QX60 feels heavy. It doesn’t roll very fast upon lifting your foot off the brake, and you start to feel those 4,500 pounds when you start to drive a little quicker. This SUV doesn’t really maneuver itself around turns or through tight spaces with the utmost confidence or agility, which is to be expected. The handling is certainly better than a truck-based SUV, but just like the Pathfinder, the handling is still very average and middle of the pack compared to mainstream crossovers. The QX60 feels easy to drive and decently maneuverable, and you can drive it in a similar manner as you would a smaller car on your daily errand runs, but you can still feel some weight shift and body lean through the corners. The steering doesn’t really do wonders in helping this SUV feel smaller or more nimble, either. The QX60’s handling reminds me more of a minivan than it does an Acura MDX or an Audi Q7 competitor. The vehicle doesn’t feel lumbering or unwieldy, but the chassis feels heavy and the suspension feels tuned for comfort. I don’t want to be too harsh on the handling, because I didn’t really complain about it much in my Pathfinder review, but I am going to be a little harsher in this category considering the QX60’s price tag. When you look at the bold and curvaceous exterior of the QX60, you’re just expecting that it’s going to feel a little better to drive through the corners, but it isn’t really like that. This car doesn’t handle terribly, but it still feels very mainstream and typical of a heavy family crossover.
I do think that softer sprung suspension does play a role in the smooth ride quality of the QX60. Again, the ride still feels a little mainstream, as you can still feel bumps and road imperfections, but most of the time the ride feels smooth and relaxed. The QX60 feels like a calm family car, and the comfortable ride makes it a good road trip vehicle. Is the ride improved compared to the Pathfinder? Well, no. The QX60 rides exactly like the Pathfinder. The Pathfinder has a smooth and relaxing ride as it is, so it’s not a bad platform to copy, but I still thought that the QX60 could have felt more premium in the suspension tuning. The body jostles over bumps a little bit, and the suspension is generally not quite as controlled or refined compared to other crossovers in this segment.
That said, in terms of just a general commuter car and highway cruiser, the QX60 does fine. It feels smooth, everything seems to respond how you want it to, it’s easy to maintain a constant speed, it points in a straight line without much steering input or correction, and you’ll be able to keep up with mostly everything else on the road without any problems.
As for road noise, the QX60’s cabin is pretty isolated. You can still hear some wind noise intruding into the cabin at highway speeds, but around town, you mostly just hear the agricultural growl of the Nissan V6 doing its thing and nothing much else. I think there could have been a little more sound deadening added compared to the Nissan model, but the road noise is quiet enough to be competitive.
As for the response of the QX60, the accelerator is pretty light in its resistance and the response is decent. It seems to respond well right at the top of the pedal, although you do need to go fairly deep into the throttle if you want to push the engine a little harder. Getting some passing power from the CVT also requires a good amount of throttle input, but thankfully the CVT responds decently well. The brake pedal is also light in its resistance and the bite feels a little vague, but the brakes feel smooth and powerful enough to stop this SUV quickly.
And there you have it: the Infiniti QX60. I didn’t want this review to turn out harsh, because the cheaper Nissan Pathfinder is a pretty nice vehicle to drive for the price and class it competes in, but it’s certainly not an expensive or substantial feeling chassis that you might expect from a vehicle like the QX60. The QX60 is a nice looking SUV that has stood the tests of time pretty well, at least on the outside. The 3.5 liter V6 is decently peppy and makes nice sounds, the leather seats are comfortable, the ride is smooth, and the passenger room is cavernous. The interior, however, is dated. The infotainment system is in desperate need of a redesign to stay competitive in the segment, and I would have liked to see some more leather stitching and other upscale styling cues in the dashboard, rather than just a mundane piece of injection molded hard plastic. The handling, while not bad, still reminds you that you’re in a heavy family car built on a cheaper and more mainstream platform. This SUV has a luxury badge on it, and while I was expecting it to be priced a little higher than the Pathfinder, I still think that a $12-14K difference between two vehicles that are essentially the same is a serious oversight. I can’t recommend the QX60 to anyone for that reason alone, but I’m sure some people will still want the QX60 for the sake of having a vehicle with “luxury” badges.
My recommendation? Get the Pathfinder instead. The driving experience is exactly the same at a much cheaper price. You don’t even have to get the $42-44K top of the line Platinum trim level to get most of the fully loaded QX60’s features. The $37-39K Pathfinder in the SL trim will still give you many of those desired luxury options at a much cheaper price compared to the Infiniti version.